Pope Leo XIV Condemns Iran’s Killing of Protesters, Rejects US-Israeli War

Pope Leo XIV condemned the Iranian regime’s killing of protesters while returning from a four-nation Africa tour, stressing that “as a pastor” he cannot support the US-Israeli war with Iran.

“As protests by the Iranian people against the government continue, and human rights organizations, countries, and international bodies have strongly condemned the brutal suppression of protesters, the Pope has prayed for peace in Iran, and Archbishop Robert Barron, praising the courage of the Iranian people, expressed hope that the Islamist ruling regime will soon be consigned to the dustbin of history”

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CNN reports that on Thursday he “denounced the Iranian regime’s killing of protesters” but said, “as a pastor,” he cannot support the US-Israeli war with Iran.

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UnionLeader similarly says Pope Leo XIV “firmly condemned the killing of protesters in Iran” and “reaffirms stance against war,” describing his remarks aboard his return flight to Rome after a four-nation Africa tour.

Reuters, as republished by Global Banking & Finance Review®, places the pope’s condemnation “ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT” on April 23, quoting him: “I condemn all actions that are unjust. I condemn the taking of people's lives,” and adding that he said, “When a regime, when a country takes decisions which takes away the lives of other people unjustly, then obviously that is something that should be condemned.”

UnionLeader adds that he “decried the deaths of ‘so many’ civilians in the war” and lamented the “collapse of U.S.-Iran peace talks.”

In the same Reuters account, the pope said, “As a pastor, I cannot be in favor of war,” and Global Banking & Finance Review® quotes him describing the situation as “chaotic” and saying “there is the whole population of Iran, innocent people, who are suffering because of this war.”

The pope’s condemnation came after President Donald Trump publicly attacked him over the Iran protests and the war, including by urging someone to relay a message to the Vatican.

UnionLeader says Trump criticized the Catholic leader “last week” for not condemning the killings while speaking out against the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, and it notes that Trump was attacked the pope on social media as “terrible” on April 12.

CNN

UnionLeader adds that “In a post two days later, Trump asked ‘will someone please tell Pope Leo’ about the deaths of Iranian protesters,” and it ties the dispute to Iranian authorities killing “thousands of people during anti-government protests in January.”

Mawazin News provides the same exchange in a different form, quoting Trump on Truth Social: “Could someone tell Pope Leo that Iran has killed at least 42,000 innocent unarmed protesters in the last two months, and that Iran possessing a nuclear bomb is completely unacceptable. Thank you for your attention to this matter. America is back.”

Al-Sharq (الشرق) likewise reports Trump’s renewal of his attack, quoting him: “Could someone tell Pope Leo that Iran has killed at least 42,000 innocent, unarmed protesters in the past two months, and that possessing a nuclear bomb is absolutely unacceptable.”

Al-Sharq also says the verbal exchange began “on Friday” and continued “without signs of de-escalation,” while Trump told reporters: “There is nothing I need to apologize for,” and the pope vowed to continue criticizing the U.S.–Israel war on Iran.

In the Reuters account republished by Global Banking & Finance Review®, the pope “did not mention Trump in his remarks on Thursday,” even as the political context around the pope included Trump’s earlier posts.

Together, the sources show Trump’s focus on both protest deaths and Iran’s nuclear capability, with Mawazin News and Al-Sharq both using the figure “42,000” in Trump’s message.

In his remarks, Pope Leo XIV linked the protest killings and the war to the breakdown of U.S.-Iran peace talks, describing the diplomatic deadlock in terms of uncertainty and chaos.

“Quick Summary Pope Leo XIV condemned the killing of protesters in Iran and reiterated his opposition to war, lamenting civilian casualties and the failure of U”

Global Banking & Finance Review®

Global Banking & Finance Review® quotes the pope saying, “One day Iran says yes, the United States says no and vice versa. We don't know where it will go.”

The same Reuters account says he added, “It has created a situation that is still chaotic … and also there is the whole population of Iran, innocent people, who are suffering because of this war.”

UnionLeader similarly says he “lamented the collapse of U.S.-Iran peace talks” and described the war’s civilian toll, stating he “decried the deaths of ‘so many’ civilians in the war.”

CNN frames his position as condemnation without endorsement of war, reporting that he “stressed that, ‘as a pastor,’ he cannot support the US-Israeli war with Iran.”

Beyond the immediate conflict, Global Banking & Finance Review® reports that the pope defended his decision to visit countries in Africa known for authoritarian leaders, saying the Vatican “maintains diplomatic relationships with authoritarian regimes.”

It quotes the pope: “We don't always make great proclamations … but there's an awful lot of work that goes on behind the scenes to promote justice,” and adds that he said the Vatican works “so that the lives of people can be improved.”

UnionLeader adds that he “urged richer nations to help develop the countries that migrants are leaving,” asking, “What are richer countries doing to change the situation for poorer countries?” and “And why can’t we seek … to change the situations in (those) countries?”

Other reporting extends the pope’s Iran focus beyond the press conference, describing his Sunday prayer and the reactions of Christian leaders and human rights groups.

articleeighteen says that “As protests by the Iranian people against the government continue,” Pope Leo “has prayed for peace in Iran,” and it quotes his Sunday prayer: “In the meantime, my thoughts turn to the situation in the Middle East, especially in Iran and Syria, where ongoing tensions continue to claim many lives. I hope and pray that dialogue and peace, with patience and in the service of the common good of all society, may be fostered.”

UnionLeader

The same articleeighteen piece quotes Archbishop Robert Barron praising “the courage of the Iranian people,” writing: “I want to honor the courage of thousands of people who have risen up against the oppressive regime in Iran.”

It also includes a longer Barron passage that says the regime “has treated human dignity with contempt” and that “this dishonorable regime that has been the source of so much evil and suffering for decades will find its place in the dustbin of history.”

articleeighteen further reports that Amnesty International stated in a memorandum that “The authorities of the Islamic Republic have escalated the deadly crackdown on protesters across Iran,” and it says Amnesty International added that “with internet cuts they are attempting to conceal the true dimensions of gross human rights violations and international crimes.”

The articleeighteen text also quotes Amnesty International calling on “protesters, eyewitnesses, medical staff, and others who have direct observations” to contact the organization and to provide “Obtaining visual evidence such as scenes of shootings, bullet casings, and photos of injuries and the bodies of those killed.”

It adds that UNICEF “expressed deep concern about the deaths and injuries of children and adolescents during the protests in Iran and called for urgent measures to protect their lives, freedom, and physical and mental health.”

In addition, articleeighteen says Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, announced “a ban on the presence of all diplomats and representatives of the Iranian government in the European Parliament buildings,” quoting Metsola: “We cannot continue as usual.”

The sources diverge in how they frame the pope-Iran story, especially in the way they connect the pope’s statements to Trump’s attacks and to claims about protest deaths.

“President Donald Trump renewed his criticisms of Pope Leo XIV of the Vatican, saying that Iran possessing a nuclear bomb is "absolutely unacceptable”

Al-Sharq

CNN emphasizes the pope’s moral condemnation and his refusal to back war, stating that he “denounced the Iranian regime’s killing of protesters” while “stressed that, ‘as a pastor,’ he cannot support the US-Israeli war with Iran.”

Wakala Mawazin News

UnionLeader foregrounds the political confrontation, saying Trump criticized Leo “last week” for not condemning the killings while speaking out against the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, and it recounts Trump’s social media attack as “terrible” on April 12 and his later question “will someone please tell Pope Leo.”

Global Banking & Finance Review® (Reuters) centers on the pope’s direct words and the diplomatic context, quoting him on the peace talks with “One day Iran says yes, the United States says no and vice versa” and describing the situation as “still chaotic.”

By contrast, Mawazin News and Al-Sharq focus on Trump’s message to the pope and the specific claim that “Iran has killed at least 42,000 innocent unarmed protesters in the last two months” or “in the past two months,” while also stressing Trump’s insistence that “Iran possessing a nuclear bomb is completely unacceptable” or “absolutely unacceptable.”

Al-Sharq adds a broader narrative of continued verbal exchange, saying the clash “began on Friday” and continued “without signs of de-escalation,” and it includes Trump’s line: “There is nothing I need to apologize for,” alongside the pope’s vow to keep criticizing the U.S.–Israel war.

Meanwhile, articleeighteen shifts the frame to religious and human-rights advocacy, quoting the pope’s prayer for “dialogue and peace” and including Amnesty International’s memorandum about “internet cuts” and “gross human rights violations and international crimes.”

Across these accounts, the same core dispute—Pope Leo XIV condemning killings in Iran while opposing war—appears, but the emphasis changes from condemnation and peace-talk breakdown (CNN, Reuters via Global Banking & Finance Review®) to the Trump-papal clash and nuclear framing (UnionLeader, Mawazin News, Al-Sharq) to prayer and rights-group mobilization (articleeighteen).

The sources portray an ongoing escalation risk tied to the war with Iran and to continued domestic repression in Iran, with multiple actors calling for restraint or action.

Global Banking & Finance Review® reports that the pope said the peace-talk breakdown has created “a situation that is still chaotic” and that “the whole population of Iran, innocent people, who are suffering because of this war,” framing the immediate stakes as civilian suffering amid uncertainty.

CNN and UnionLeader both emphasize that the pope “cannot support the US-Israeli war with Iran” and that he “does not support war,” with UnionLeader quoting him: “As a pastor, I cannot be in favor of war.”

Al-Sharq describes Trump’s continued insistence on preventing Iran from possessing nuclear weapons, quoting him that Iran’s nuclear bomb is “absolutely unacceptable,” and it says the exchange continued “without signs of de-escalation.”

Mawazin News similarly reports Trump’s message that “Iran possessing a nuclear bomb is completely unacceptable,” and it adds that “America is back.”

On the protest-repression side, articleeighteen reports Amnesty International’s claim that “The authorities of the Islamic Republic have escalated the deadly crackdown on protesters across Iran,” and it says Amnesty International is urging people to contact the organization with information about “those killed, those injured, shootings, and the status of hospitals, mortuaries.”

articleeighteen also reports UNICEF’s concern for minors, quoting that UNICEF “expressed deep concern about the deaths and injuries of children and adolescents during the protests in Iran and called for urgent measures to protect their lives, freedom, and physical and mental health.”

Finally, articleeighteen reports that Roberta Metsola announced “a ban on the presence of all diplomats and representatives of the Iranian government in the European Parliament buildings,” and it quotes her: “We cannot continue as usual.”

Taken together, the sources depict a situation where the pope’s calls for peace and condemnation of unjust killings coexist with Trump’s nuclear-focused pressure and with rights-group and institutional demands for action as protests and war continue.